News

After the first day of the IBSA Pastors’ Conference concluded Nov. 6 in Maryville, leaders in their 20s and 30s gathered for what has become an annual conversation about issues pertinent to their lives and ministries. Around Buffalo wings, toasted ravioli, and St. Louis’ very own Fitz’s sodas, the group heard a panel discussion on […]

“A pioneer is someone who has the courage to step out on faith and do what seems impossible,” said Denny Hydrick, executive director of Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services (BCHFS), at the IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 7. One hundred years ago, three men in Carmi founded the Baptist Children’s Orphanage, which would grow into […]

“There is something special about writing out our tithe check to the church every payday,” reported a smiling Stephanie Grove, a member of First Baptist Church in Fairview Heights. She and her husband, David, were two of the Baptist Foundation of Illinois (BFI) clients who shared their stories of Christian stewardship during the Foundation’s report […]

Dr. Paul Chitwood was elected unanimously as the 13th president of the Southern Baptists’ International Mission Board on Thursday, Nov. 15, during trustees’ regularly scheduled meeting near Richmond, Virginia. Chitwood, 48, who has served as executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, took office immediately as the president of the 173-year-old entity, the largest denominational […]

A milestone anniversary for Illinois set the foundation for IBSA’s Annual Meeting Nov. 7-8 at First Baptist Church in Maryville. The state’s bicentennial—and a visit from its most famous resident—highlighted the 112th annual gathering of Southern Baptists in Illinois. The meeting also focused on four “Pioneering Spirit” challenges churches have embraced over the past year […]

Tuesday Briefing

News

Christmas. The season of joy. Jesus’s birthday. It’s right around the corner! As believers, we know the real reason for the season is Jesus. This is the day we celebrate our Savior coming to earth to begin his journey to the cross which will give us freedom from sin and shame eternally. But the chaos […]

Mission

Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) volunteers were in Taylorville the morning after an EF-3 tornado damaged hundreds of structures in the town 30 miles southeast of Springfield. The Dec. 1 storms, rare this late in the year, spawned a record-high number of tornados in December—at least 26—and affected several central Illinois communities. The most severe […]